The Borough of

ETNA, PENNSYLVANIA

(Allegheny County)

Founded -- September 16, 1868

Part 2: Centreville and Stewartstown

Before the incorporation of Etna, and after the canal boom began, the
Pine Creek area, as it was known, became the village of Centerville in
1826, and Stewartstown in 1838.

The earliest settlers in Centreville were Scotch-Irish, they were
followed by Swiss, Germans, Croatians, Austrians and Hungarians.
Stewartstown and Etna had Italians, Poles, Ukranians and Mexicans as
their settlers.

These people all arrived in the area for the same reason. The Etna
area had jobs, a good climate, decent lifestyles, and a lot of opportunity.
By September 16, 1868 when the borough was incorporated, Etna was thriving.

Etna's Gilded Years

Etna from 1885 to 1915 was a major player in the entire Pittsburgh
area. The Pittsburgh Post said Etna could be the hub of a city
that would rival Pittsburgh!

Charles Spang, Charles Herron and John Chalfont controlled
both the Spang Chalfant Company and pipe mill (the oldest in the
U.S. starting in 1840), and the Isabella furnaces.

These men were founders of the Duquesne Club, and met with
J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie at Etna's Union Hotel.
They controlled railroads, steel, and more. They had the power to control
vast enterprises.

Etna flourished! Its mills and furnaces were some of the heaviest
producers in the U.S. The commerce district and entertainment facilities,
and theatres flouished. People enjoyed leisurely picnics along the trolley
lines, and Spang and the Carnegie company that bought out Isabella ran
company stores, sports and recreational teams.

Etna was a proud town with a lot to offer its citizens. It was a hub of
water, railroad, highway and trolley transportation which played an
important role in its growth.

Its sports teams carried on the winning traditions, and competitive
spirit of the town. Its schools were ranked top in the state, and its
churches and civic organizations played leading roles in families' lives.
These years ended with the Depression.

Etna's Post War Years

Spang and Chalfant were forced to sell their mill to National
Supply during the Depression. Almost half of the other businesses
in town also were lost during that period.

In 1936, the worst flood to ever hit on the Allegheny River struck
Etna with a destructive blow. Waters rose 40 feet above flood stage,
meaning that in lower Etna the water reached second story windows. Many
lost their homes and businesses forever during that flood.

A few years later, the first recruits left for World War II, some
brave sons never to return alive, and others just not to return. It
was the beginning of major changes in Etna.

In 1953, the Isabella Furnaces closed, and remained abandoned for over
ten years before they were finally torn down to make way for the Etna-By-Pass.

In the mid-fifties, Etna became more of a suburban neighborhood than a
center of activity. In 1959, the Etna-By-Pass project was begun. That
expressway separated Etna into different communities, and civic life changed
forever. In 1960, the Spang Mill closed its doors forever.

Etna Today

After Spang Chalfant closed, it seemed like Etna was doomed. But, it
survived, and has actually found new employers to replace Spang. The
largest is Tippins Inc. a designer and builder of rolling mills.

Duquesne Electric, Reyna Foods, Preston Trucking, Extech, W.P. Voegele Co.
and many others have also replaced Spang. Winchell's Hardware is the oldest
surviving retailer in Etna, but the downtown itself has continued to see
decent sales in many of its stores.

The Etna By-Pass has been improved since it was finished. The railroads
which peaked in business around 1956, are making a comeback. Etna has also
become home to movie-makers with films such as "Used People."
After several years of devastating floods, the Pine Creek flood control
project was initiated, and is now close to complete. Etna also received
funds to beautify its downtown because of these floods.

END PART 2

-----------------NOTE: Genealogical information on some deceased residents of The Boroughof Etna, PA can be found on the Etna Cemetery Tombstone Inscriptions.-----------------Anyone with additional "history/recollections" of Etna is invited toforward it to me via E-Mail and I will include it within these pagesand name YOU as a contributor.